Once Upon a Teenage Hero
by TessaJayne
Summary: A little secret slithers into Storybrooke, Maine, bringing with her a spark of hope for Regina's happy ending. But will her will power and compassion be enough to save everyone AND her mother?
1. Chapter 1: A Pleasant Family Reunion

The adrenaline rush that came with the speed of the old truck and that fact that she was finally free made Chastity approve of her decision even more.

This was it. She was going to find her birth mother.

After all the years of not having a mom, after wondering what it would be like to meet her and actually be important to somebody, Chastity was finally going to find her. Most importantly, she wanted to know what it meant to be a daughter. Her expectations of her mother were vague; she hoped she would be accepting of the fact that she just planned on showing up on her doorstep. She hoped she would love her, fight for her really. She wasn't in any way upset with her for giving her up. She couldn't imagine what she was going through during the time of her pregnancy, and she wouldn't know until she asked. Maybe now things settled down for her and she might want a daughter.

All her life she had been cooped up in that dreadful foster home, dreaming about what it would be like to have a family and to learn more about the supernatural. She knew about her mother's wielding magic; after all, she had started using it herself. It was a rather complicated art, one that she preferred to keep as pure as possible, trying her best to stay away from the sinister part of it. She had kept her powers from the other kids in her foster home.

One gift of hers that made her rather different from other magic wielders was her ability to feel what others were feeling if she concentrated on it strenuously enough. After a few years of practice, she had mastered the art of it. She didn't use the skill often anymore; it was unsettling for her to slither her way into people's thoughts and emotions, and only when it was necessary did she call upon the talent.

Getting lost in her thoughts, Chastity had to swerve to the other side of the road to dodge a bunny the appeared in front of her tire. Just missing it, she returned to the right side of the road and steadied herself. In all honestly, she was worried that her mother, whose name she found to be Regina Mills after scrying for a few hours, would actually want her. Chastity wasn't necessarily the easiest teenager to take care of, and she knew that. But maybe her mother was the same way? Maybe she was just like her.

Dear god did she hope so.

Finally, the headlights of her old rusty truck illuminated the Storybrooke sign in the near distance. However, to Chastity's surprise, they also revealed a stout man standing a few paces away from it, holding a flashlight. Chastity knew better than to pull up next to a stranger on the road, so she drove past him cautiously, wondering what he was doing out so late at night. Trying to keep herself from getting panicked or freaked out, she soon found herself in the middle of the town, looking around curiously for a place to stay the night so that she could start her search in the morning, or, if she was lucky, find someone who knew her mother.

After about ten minutes of exploring, she came across a "Granny's Inn". It seemed inviting enough, what with its floral décor outside and warm lighting coming from the inside. She crossed her left hand's fingers in her lap and pulled into the parking lot, biting her lip anxiously as she went. She parked the truck and stepped out of it, taking in a deep breath of the brisk air that surrounded her  
and the sweet scent of lavender, rosemary, and just a hint of lilac. She was so close now.

The door to the diner was locked, but the door to the inn wasn't. Thankfully, she had arrived early enough to get a room before the place closed, and yet late enough to see a crazy out on the road. A bell rang when she pushed open the door, and the smell of gently burning wood brushed across her face. An older woman to her right stood behind a desk, and she greeted Chastity with a charming smile.

"Welcome, dear. What brings you to our sleepy little town at this hour? You look a little young to be out and about." The woman said, her voice inviting Chastity to take a step closer.

"Well…I-I was hoping you could help me. You see, I-I'm looking for my mother. Perhaps you know her?" Chastity stuttered and she clutched her hands together, trying her best not to look as nearly as awkward as she was already being. "Her name is Regina Mills?" She was finally able to declare

For some reason, the woman was taken aback. The name did something to her, Chastity knew that for sure, and it didn't seem like a good thing. She restrained from reading the woman's mind. "You're Regina's…daughter?" The woman asked, her voice full of utter shock and almost a bit of terror.

"I believe so. You don't suppose you could point me in the direction of her house, do you?" Chastity asked, concerned with the sudden situation at hand.

"I don't think you'd want to do that, dear. She's not exactly the nicest person around here."

The rude-sounding answer put Chastity a little on edge. "I don't care. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could help me find her. I've been waiting for this for seventeen years." She retorted, her chest tightening from having to be so straightforward and demanding.

"Oh yeah. You're definitely her daughter." The woman remarked.

Chastity countered her as quickly as she had responded, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll find out. Take a right down this street and keep driving till you see a rather impressive house with an iron gate around it." The woman merely directed her and turned off the lamp on the desk, shaking her head in disbelief. "Good luck." She added, gave a little wave, and turned the corner behind her into another room.

Left in dim lighting, Chastity stood where she was for just a moment longer before leaving. She was alarmed now. Clearly, some of the townspeople did not like her mother, but what could she have possibly done to distraught them? The question gnawed at her irritatingly until she came upon Regina's house. Suddenly, every question and every wonder disappeared and all Chastity was left with was dread. Regina wasn't going to like her. She was going to slam the door right in her face. After all, that was all Chastity had ever known: disappointment.

Turning off the truck, she sat staring at the beautiful house in front of her as though it were some unfathomable creature that she had never seen before. What could she say? How could she break it to her that she was her daughter and she had come looking for her? What if it wasn't a good time? Chastity let out an over-exaggerated sigh and slammed her head off the car's steering wheel.

"OW!" She cried, throwing her head back and putting her hand to her now throbbing skull. "Why did I do that!?" She asked herself rhetorically, realizing now that she was seriously going to cause some chaos if she couldn't find a way to control herself.

Taking a deep breath and recollecting herself, she pushed open the car door, slammed it shut, and then checked in the rear view mirror to see if she had a bump. Rolling her eyes when she saw the huge red mark just across the top of her right eyebrow, she waved her hand across the bruise. It faded instantly, leaving behind only her smooth pale skin and a proud smile. Attempting to lift her spirits, she straightened her back and strutted toward the door as confidently as she could.

The gate wasn't locked, and yet with the way that it creaked when she slid it open, she was surprised when no one came out to investigate the loud noise. The porch light was on, and as Chastity stood under it with her arms folded across her chest from the cold, she procrastinated knocking on the door.

Just above her, looking down from the top story window, Regina peered down at her with wary eyes and said harshly under her breath, "Who the hell is that?"

"Should I investigate, dear?" Cora asked from behind her, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"No. I'll take care of it." Regina said and turned swiftly on her heel.

Below them, Chastity finally worked up the courage to knock. She rasped on the door thrice before pulling back, crossing her arms again. Just seconds later, the door whipped open, revealing a dark and yet absolutely stunning woman who didn't seem to want visitors at all, and yet was undeniably her mother.

"Uhh…" Chastity stammered, a little intimidated now, "You wouldn't happen to be Regina, would you?"

"Yes, and what's it to you?" Regina demanded smoothly and crossed her arms as well, staring at Chastity like a predator about to eat her alive.

"Well… If I did my research correctly, and if that is your name, it means that I'm your daughter." Chastity blurted, keeping back her tears with an incredible force.

She knew it. She hated her already.

Regina took a step back, unfolding her arms and looking horribly distressed. Though she was secretly overjoyed, she couldn't risk her mother seeing her. Instinct made her grab Chastity by the arm and drag her around the back of the house, hopefully out of her mother's sight. Though this startled Chastity, she followed Regina and waited patiently as she rested her back up against the side of the house for her to say something as she paced back and forth with her hand to her head.

"You . . . You're Chastity, aren't you?" Regina asked suddenly and stopped pacing, looking her daughter straight in the eye. Nodding, Chastity continued to grow apprehensive as to why her presence seemed to be problematic. "You can't be here . . . not right now. If she sees you…." Regina trailed off, for the most part talking to herself, and she started to pace again.

"What's wrong?" Chastity asked, her innocent voice making her mother stop again and turn to look at her.

Regina looked at Chastity in a way that made her knees shake. She seemed to be examining her thoroughly, looking for similarities between them, but for the most part keeping her eyes locked on hers. There was something that was scratching at Regina's insides; an irritation, perhaps? Chastity couldn't tell, but when Regina's facial expression went soft and she smiled, she didn't care.

"Oh my god . . . you are so beautiful." Regina mused after a couple moments of her methodical staring, putting her hand to her mouth to hide her quivering lips. She could see Daniel in her. There was something in Chastity that reminded her of Daniel. She couldn't quite place it, but when Chastity's cheeks turned red, she couldn't help herself then; she approached her daughter and put her hands on her cheeks, examining her face once more and finally smiling a full and blissful smile.

Chastity had been waiting to see her mother smile the entire time. She embraced her mother tightly then, burying her face in her neck and unleashing her tears, for it was too much for her to restrain any longer. Regina hesitated, surprised that Chastity had accepted her so quickly, and then held her as closely as she could. Without Henry, she had forgotten what it felt like to hold a child, especially one that was her own by blood and birth. She pulled away then, looking at her daughter's face again and still emitting her smile.

"Can you . . . can you wield magic?" She asked, her face more inquisitive now than loveable, yet the compassion was still lucidly there.

Chastity nodded and took a step back. She hovered her left hand over her right hand, making circle motions with both, closed her eyes, and concentrated. She wanted to give her mother something; something that would show her how appreciative she was for her immediate adoration. Slowly, a necklace materialized in her palm. After another moment, Regina could see that the necklace was silver, and that the charm on it was a strip of the silver fashioned into a heart. Another second passed, and the words "For my mother" engraved itself on the silver.

Speechless, Regina could only stare at the magnificent piece of jewelry. Another tear ran down her right cheek. Chastity opened her eyes, smiled, and took her mother's hand. She placed the necklace in her palm and closed her fingers around it, holding her hand for a moment before withdrawing. Only a few minutes had past, and Regina was already vowing to herself to keep her returned daughter safe. She didn't want to think about the situation that led up to her having to give her little love child up; she just wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, but still find a way to get Henry back too.

"Sweetie . . . You came at a very bad time…" Regina said, clutching the necklace tighter in her hand and trying to keep herself stable, "There's a lot going on right now that I'd hate to get you involved in, but it's your choice whether or not you stay."

Chastity raised an eyebrow. There was something going on, something that was clearly stressing Regina to the maximum. She could tell just by looking at her that someone had broken her down and degraded whatever drive it was that kept her going every day. This enraged her of course, giving her a growing fury that was hard to diminish. Unsure of how Regina coped with anxiety, Chastity studied her closely, keeping herself calm, but still kept a small distance between them.

"Who did this to you?" Chastity asked, looking her mother dead in the eye and trying to show her that she was going to attempt to help.

"What?" Regina said warily, narrowing her eyes in bewilderment, the tone of her voice confirming her daughter's suspicions.

Chastity took a step closer, breaking the unsettling distance between them, and took her hand. "Who broke you?" She repeated her question a different way, and paused a moment before continuing, "Of all people, I'd be the one to see a shattered soul…You can talk to me."

Regina's heart sank. She dreaded that telling Chastity about her past would push her away, for they had already become so close so quickly. She previously lost so many loved ones, and she couldn't imagine losing her only birth child. Just before she opened her mouth to express herself, a bone chilling voice broke her chain of thought.

"Regina. Who's this..?" Cora's voice inquired next to her.

Turning to look at her, Regina grew defensive instantly and her posture changed to a protective one over Chastity. She knew immediately that her mother would be infuriated; after all, she had Chastity with Daniel. Regina hovered close next to her daughter then, raising a cautious hand as warning to her mother to stay back.

"Mother, please let me-" Regina began, but Cora cut her off.

"There's no need for explaining, dear… I can see she has your eyes. Beautiful, really. Don't worry, I won't hurt her." Cora said slickly, examining Chastity so closely that she felt as though she were looking right through her.

Feeling threatened, Chastity's ability flickered on, and she suddenly gasped, taking a step back. The darkness emitting from Cora was revolting. "I don't believe you." Chastity said shrewdly, putting her hand over her heart.

The more memories that were flowing from Cora's mind to hers, the more frightened, and yet more ruthless Chastity became. Power was all Cora cared about, and Chastity could only find a sliver left of love for Regina in her, hardly a drop. She let the woman's feelings flow into her heart like a wave of black, and she had opened her mind so much, that she felt Regina as well. Magic to her was almost nearly as strong of a drug as it was for Cora, and as Chastity accidentally dug deeper, she found that she wasn't the only child that her mother loved. There was someone else, but the vision was too blurry for her to decipher, and just before she pulled away, she felt herself being pushed from Regina's mind.

In all her years, Chastity had never met anyone who had ever actually felt her reading them, and yet Regina had. She flashed her daughter a quick look, giving her the warning to keep out until she allowed entry, and turned her concentration back to her mother.

Cora's grim smile turned into a cold sneer and she shot her hand forward, casting a binding spell on Chastity's wrists, locking them together. Chastity let out a whimper as she was dragged forward toward Cora. This didn't last long, however, before Regina let out a horrifying scream and threw her own hand forward, breaking the spell instantly but knocking both her mother and Chastity back. Unfortunately, when Chastity was pushed onto her backside, she smashed the back of her head off of a rock, knocking her unconscious.

"Mother!" Regina hissed, for the moment ignoring her daughter and focusing her rage onto Cora. "She is still your granddaughter, and you will not lay an aggressive hand on her, do you understand me!?"

Cora's face grew unsettling, and suddenly her very presence became menacing. Regina had sparked something inside of her, something that would take years for them to reach a settlement on. "That is NOT my granddaughter!" She hissed, pointing a foreboding finger at Chastity.

Regina made a move to attack her, but Cora cast a teleportation spell and was lost in a cloud of purple smoke before Regina could advance in on her. Her fury took a few minutes to diminish, consisting of great inhales and clenching and unclenching of her fists, and by the time she was somewhat settled, her vexation with her mother returned when she looked over at her daughter. How dare she try to hurt her Chastity, even if she was Daniel's daughter. She was still Cora's granddaughter, and Regina simply couldn't understand why her mother still deemed it acceptable to treat her like an animal.

She opened her right fist then, revealing the necklace she had been clutching so tightly within it, and slipped it around her neck. It hung level with her heart.

Chest tightening, Regina scooped her daughter up into her arms and took her inside. She tentatively tucked her into her own bed, finding that there was no way she herself could fall asleep now. She wondered aimlessly about the room for the rest of the night, stopping only when Chastity's faint breathing made her turn to gawk at her in admiration, only to continue to pace moments later, her daughter's presence reminding her of her newfound responsibly she had to worry about. When three o'clock rolled around, she changed into a flannel shirt and a pair of shorts, knowing she had no reason to be intimidating with her daughter, and finally sat down on the chair across the room. Terrified that if she crawled in next to Chastity she would upset her, she stayed where she was, hoping that even with her many flaws, Chastity would still accept her.


	2. Chapter 2: Secrets

Grumpy couldn't drive the car fast enough to satisfy the urgency of the situation. Another person had come into town, and he knew damn well that one was already too much. He floured it into the driveway of the apartments where Emma, Snow, and David lived, going at a speed so ridiculously fast that when he hit the brakes, he whip-lashed his head and neck.

The consistent pounding on the door summoned David to open it, and when he saw the look of anxiety on Grumpy's face, he knew he was in for it. Snow came around the corner, fearing the worst already, and stood next to her husband, taking his arm in her own.

"What? What happened?" He asked him haphazardly, his heart already beginning to pound in his chest.

"We've got another problem. Someone else drove into town earlier. It was a girl, a younger girl, which means she's completely capable of gossiping and texting." Grumpy nearly hollered this in reply.

Snow, evidently baffled, crossed her arms over her chest now, and, in realizing the seriousness of the new visitor, became troubled. Trying to be the mediator, she tried to make the problem sound lighter, "Regina and her mother are the only ones left it town, and without Rumpelstiltskin around to make things worse, nothing really horrible should happen." She said, glancing back and forth from Grumpy's face and David's to look for their reactions and waited for their thoughts.

"Even still, this could be bad if she plans on staying." David added, his face creased in concern.

"She does." Grumpy said, "She stopped at Granny's. She talked for about five minutes before leaving and heading to Regina's. Something went down in the back yard; I couldn't get close enough to see, but someone really ticked Regina off." He put emphasis on the fact that she had been obviously enraged.

Snow's heart skipped a beat as Grumpy's last words. She knew better than anyone what it meant to tick Regina off; it usually ended in a life-long grudge, especially if someone she loved was taken from her. "This could be bad. We need to find out who that girl is."

David nodded. "You're right; we'll go in the morning and see what's going on. It's a little late now." He said in agreement, "Grumpy, keep your ax to yourself till tomorrow."

Grumpy smirked, "Yeah. I'll try." He replied sarcastically and turned to leave.

David shut the door behind him and turned to Snow. He could tell she was fearful and finding himself upset from his wife's melancholy, he took her into his arms a moment to console her. They went to sleep an hour later after discussing the situation in the kitchen.

* * *

When Chastity awoke, she found herself wrapped tightly within a few thick blankets and, still in her fit of rage from trying to protect her mother from her grandmother, sat up in a flourish and made a move as if to push someone away from her. Regina was still sitting just across the room with her face buried in her hands, still trying to recollect herself from the night before . . . in vain. When she heard Chastity wake up, she reacted immediately by rushing to her side to console her. She took her daughter into her arms, embracing her tightly to calm her down.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Chastity asked from behind her mother's protective shoulder.

"It's fine . . . I'm fine. Don't worry." Regina answered and cradled Chastity closer, not wanting to let go of her ever again.

Regina had sacrificed much to stay with her daughter, putting both their lives on the line, regardless. Though she hoped to keep the dire situation from her, Regina felt Chastity trying to pry for the answer, and when she found it, being that, as she had expected, Cora was ruthless and would be coming back, Chastity buried her face deeper into her mother's shoulder. With every passing moment that Chastity spent with her mother, the more she knew about her. There was little she could find out about her by forcing her way into her head, however, being that Regina was as strong, if not stronger than Chastity was, and she wanted to keep her out for the time being. There were still some things Regina wished to keep from Chastity, knowing it would be too much for her to know now.

"Why can't you just talk to me?" Chastity inquired softly, pulling her head back but staying in Regina's arms, finding herself unable to pull away.

Frowning, Regina pushed a piece of Chastity's wavy dark hair away from her eyes, hating that she had to hide things from her daughter. "I'm afraid you'll leave me if you know too much…" She admitted through an oncoming flow of tears. She couldn't stand sounding fragile as she did now.

"Oh my gosh!" Chastity said in astonishment, appalled that she thought she would ever dare leave her side. She pulled her left leg up in front of her and rested her hands in her lap. Regina stayed as close to her as possible. "Listen," Chastity began, taking Regina's hands in her own, "I know that you've made mistakes, but it's what you took and learned from those mistakes that make you who you are. You're a very passionate woman, and sometimes that passion is directed in a negative way, but when you direct toward me, it becomes something beautiful." She hesitated, examining Regina very intimately now. "And, if I've paid close enough attention, you also direct it towards someone else?" She asked lightly, not wanting to question her too much.

Regina gave a weak smile at the inquisition. "You have a brother . . . Henry. He's the reason I'm like this, but it isn't his fault. I blame someone else." She responded, looking down at their entwined hands, her face going hard.

"Who?" Chastity prodded her.

Regina looked up then; the pleasant smile Chastity wanted to see had completely vanished, leaving behind a grim line across her mouth that remained unmoving until she was able to say the name that she found to be so revolting. "Emma Swan…" She replied coldly.

The story was explained briefly with previous events leading up to Henry's departure. Chastity listened carefully, only ever interrupting when Regina got a little too upset. Her father wasn't brought up; it seemed Regina didn't want to talk about it, so Chastity didn't ask. The explanation of the fairytales being real, however, aroused a never ending string of questions from her. The concept was believable, being that Chastity knew about magic, but she couldn't bring herself to fully buy it.

"I'd have to see that…" Chastity said, looking down at her hands like Regina had done. "I bet it's beautiful." She added, returning her gaze to Regina's again, smiling hopefully now.

"I wish I could show it to you." She replied helplessly, squeezing her hand tighter and emitting a soft smile as well.

"You will one day." Chastity reassured her.

It was just past lunch when they finished talking. Completely starved, Chastity didn't hesitate to ask Regina what she wanted to make them for lunch. Regina, already entirely at home and comfortable with her daughter, acted as though it were an everyday question, and asked her what she wanted.

"Well, what are you in the mood to cook?" Chastity answered her with another question.

Regina put her hands on her hips and she scanned over the cupboards. "Well, I wish I would have known you were coming; I would have made you a meal fit for a Princess." Regina replied, flashing her daughter a wily smile over her shoulder. Pondering her options a moment, she turned around, her hands still on her hips, and looked at Chastity, clearly stumped. "I haven't a clue what to make you." She admitted.

"Then how about we eat out? It will give me a chance to meet everyone." Chastity suggested, examining her mother's glorious kitchen while she talked.

Regina looked saddened and she took the seat next to Chastity, stealing her gaze, hoping she would listen to her. "I don't think that's a good idea. People here don't particularly like me." She said with a tone that suggested she hated them too.

"No, it's a perfect idea. It'll give me the opportunity to help, and you the chance to redeem yourself. I know you don't really want them to like you; you want them to like you _so _that you can get Henry back. Don't get me wrong, I want him back too, but you need to realize the position you're in right now. I know that you're strong enough to win their favor over; your heart still has purity left in it. I can feel it." Chastity countered gently, holding her mother's gaze to ensure her again that she was no threat.

"What do you mean by that?" Regina questioned defensively. "Are you actually siding with them!?" She pushed more harshly.

"No! Mom, listen to me," Chastity said as Regina stood up. "You've been broken down intentionally, and it left your heart in pieces. I can tell that when you get hurt, you become irrational and should be left alone, but during all those times that you were upset, you were shunned and pushed aside – you kept getting hammered with more stress, so people only ever saw the dark side of you. They've never seen the woman that you were last night and this morning." Chastity explained this quickly, being sure that Regina heard everything she said.

Past memories flooded Regina's head then, and she soon realized that her daughter was right; they never gave her a chance and she never got a break.

Chastity felt this and pushed the thought further. "Exactly, and now is your chance for recovery. Plus, you have me now, and I'm not going anywhere." She said, reassuring her again, hoping she got her point across.

A tear rolled down Regina's cheek and she pulled Chastity in for a tight hug, holding her so close she thought she'd never let go. Her daughter had become so precious to her, and no one was going to take her from her now; not even her own mother.

"Do you know why I named you Chastity?" Regina asked her suddenly, twirling her fingers through her daughter's hair lovingly.

Chastity shook her head.

"It's because you were my miracle. I sent you away because I didn't want my mother to corrupt you, and I wanted you to have a life outside of that one. You were meant to be pure . . . unattained from her reach," She explained softly, biting her lip, "And full of integrity . . . and you are. You're everything I wanted you to be and more." After saying this, Regina couldn't hold her tears back then. She cried into her daughter's shoulder, ever so thankful that they had been reunited.

At the worst possible time that Regina could have a visitor, someone knocked on the door. Startled, she pulled her head from her daughter's shoulder and looked to the front door, half infuriated, half distressed. She didn't want to deal with this now. She wanted to stay here in the kitchen with her Chastity in her arms forever. Looking back at her, Regina saw that Chastity was making it evident that she was ready to handle whoever stood behind that door.

Regina stood up, and Chastity went to follow, but Regina raised her hand in disagreement, "No, stay here. I'm not going to have anyone else taken from me, especially you." She said, regaining her strength somehow as she made her way to the door.

Throwing the door open, she held herself up in a way that would freeze anyone's blood solid in their veins. David stood on the porch with Grumpy behind him. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your acquaintance?" She asked him smoothly, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at Grumpy, who was tightly gripping his ax. "You won't be needing that." She said to him.

He shrugged, keeping the hard facial expression on his face regardless.

"Someone came to your house last night – I need to know who." David pressed briefly, not wanting to be near Regina any longer than necessary.

"That is none of your concern." She replied rather harshly, and turned to close the door in his face.

David grabbed the door before she shut it and pried it back open. "It is if the person proposes a threat to my family and this town." He demanded, keeping Regina's eyes locked on his as if to get her to listen and obey.

"That's my business, not yours!" Regina retorted, raising her voice and returning the equally intimidating glare.

"Mom stop!" Chastity hollered, unable to stay put any longer now, and she rushed to her mother's side.

Regina softened at her daughter's words, taking a step back from David, but keeping her eyes on his before Chastity took her hand. Regina squeezed it to reassure and steady herself and she glanced at her daughter and then back at David, desperately trying to control herself. She dared him with her eyes to lay a hand on her daughter so she could rip his throat and heart out.

"Mom?" David echoed her, looking horrified. "You're her daughter?" He asked Chastity, gesturing back and forth to the both of them with his right hand.

"Yes. Chastity Mills, pleased to make your acquaintance - really." She said shrewdly, though she was sincere nonetheless, "I promise I am of no threat to any of you; more than anything I'm here to help. Who you should be worrying about is Cora."

"Your grandmother?" David asked, still making the connections. He was frazzled. When Chastity nodded, he could hardly get his words out. "She's Daniel's, isn't she?" He asked Regina, his eyes much more tranquil and sympathetic now.

Regina herself couldn't speak now, she only nodded. She didn't want Chastity to find out about her father this way; in fact, she realized she didn't want her to know about him at all. It was too much. To Regina though, Chastity seemed to make no reaction, she simply kept her eyes fixed on David, hardly wavering. She seemed to be assessing the entire situation in every second that passed. Regina wondered if she was using her ability, considering the steadiness of her eyes and posture. Perhaps she was always like that; on top of things and so far above others that there was no knocking her down.

She was definitely her daughter.

David understood now. "I see. We have a deranged woman running around most likely planning on killing us all now. Great." He mused, tearing down his defenses between them completely with his sarcasm that showed his trust, and, knowing that they were not the problem at hand anymore, stopped being threating.

"I hear an alliance forming." Chastity remarked, raising an eyebrow in enthrallment. "This should be interesting." She added with a sly smile.

Grumpy chuckled, clearly pleased with Chastity's attitude, "I like her!" He admitted and complimented to her.

Seemingly impressed with herself, Chastity grinned and winked at him, returning her attention to her mother soon afterwards. Regina was uneasy, Chastity could feel it, but neither David nor Grumpy gave the impression that they saw the look on her face. She held herself up stunningly in the most daunting way possible. Chastity made the note to herself to start trying to hold herself up like her mother.

"If we do this, you must promise me that you will not kill my mother; you'll bring her to me unharmed." Regina cautioned.

David nodded and stuck out his hand for Regina to take it. She hesitated, looking him dead in the eye before grasping his hand. Her delicate hand in his seemed so strange and unequal, and after they shook, Regina returned it to her side with a cunning smile. With her other hand, she tightly gripped the side of Chastity's waist. It was then that Regina realized she was still in her flannel and shorts. Finding the dignity to refrain from blushing, she took a step back inside, tightening her grip on her daughter.

"We'll have to devise the plan later; I'm afraid Chastity and I have just woken up and we haven't eaten. How bout we meet at Granny's at twelve?" Regina recommended, flashing an evidently fake smile.

"Sounds good." David said, noticing that Regina had taken into account her state of clothing and made no hesitation to turn and head for the car.

Shutting the door, Regina stared at it a moment before turning to look at Chastity. Her daughter's face made her burst into laughter. Chastity held a devious grin, as she had just now noticed her mother's attire as well, and joined her in her mirth. It was the first moment they both felt they really had bonded, and as Regina led Chastity back into the kitchen with her arm securely wrapped around her waist, she knew that her happy ending lie in Chastity.

* * *

Lunch, or as it seemed, breakfast, consisted of ham, eggs, and toast. Even though the meal was thrown together, Chastity still found it to be a feast truly fit for a Princess and Queen. As they ate, humorous stories were swapped, and Regina was able to get a taste of what it felt like to be a kid again. Chastity was well on her way to becoming an adult, but that didn't stop her from having childish fun. She left sarcastic notes in people's windshield wipers that didn't know how to park, jump-scared her friends every time they turned a dark corner, and had the ability to make a baby laugh the minute she stepped into the room with one. Chastity was hardly able to finish her food, for every time Regina said something that reminded her of a past memory, it was quickly retold before it was forgotten. Regina didn't mind the interruptions; she wanted to hear every bit of her daughter's past, hoping that knowing it would make up for not being there to see it.

When they finished, Chastity helped with the dishes before heading out to her car to retrieve some of her things. Regina, unknown to Chastity, watched her from the window, still so far overly protective that she didn't dare let her out of her sight. Chastity pulled two bags from the backseat, slinging one over her shoulder and holding the other like a purse. She looked up from her luggage suddenly, facing toward the street, and Regina was apprehensive to see who had caught her daughter's attention so abruptly. Ruby trotted up to Chastity happily, bearing the look of curiosity and friendliness. She proposed no threat whatsoever, but Regina was on high end nonetheless. She haphazardly made her way to the door as they talked.

"Chastity? That's a nice name." Ruby was saying as Regina came strutting across the lawn toward her and her daughter.

"Chastity." Regina repeated, her tone of voice suggesting she had little to no tolerance with anyone in the town speaking to her daughter, and approached them with stone cold eyes.

Looking bewildered at her mother's reaction to her socializing with Ruby, Chastity raised an eyebrow and said thoughtfully, "Mom? It's okay. Ruby was just introducing herself."

"Mom?" Ruby echoed, her eyes widening in surprise. "Regina, you have a daughter?" She asked, more puzzled that Chastity had been.

"I do, and she's not to be around _you_ people." Regina remarked hotly and grabbed her daughter by the arm.

"Whoa, wait a second. I'm allowed to have friends, am I not?" Chastity questioned, standing her ground when Regina tugged on her arm.

"Of course you are, dear, just not friends like _her_." Regina said, "Come on, sweetie." She pulled again, but Chastity continued to resist.

"No." She stated, "Mom, this isn't what I meant by redeeming yourself."

"I don't care; inside. Now." Regina demanded this time, tugging on Chastity hard enough to show her authority.

"Mom!" Chastity wined as she stumbled forward, the cut Regina had just inflicted on her heart growing deeper with every passing second.

"Now!" Regina backfired severely, pointing toward the house and making no move to back down.

Tears filled Chastity's eyes and she ripped her arm from her mother's grip. She took one last look at Ruby, and then at Regina before turning and heading into the house.

"And as for you," Regina began, looking at Ruby now with dark eyes, "Keep your paws off my lawn."

Ruby shook her head in disappointment. "She's your second chance, Regina. And I think you just might have blew it." She remarked, she herself starting to shed tears from the scene she had just witnessed. She left then, leaving Regina stunned in the middle of her own lawn.

* * *

"She has a daughter?" Snow repeated what her husband had just told her at the kitchen counter, gripping her tea cup tighter as she pondered the situation, "That can't be. When could she have possibly had her?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter. We'll be meeting with them at Granny's diner soon; you should start getting yourself ready." David said shortly, running a hand through his hair nervously and turning to pick up his sword. He hooked the sheath around his waist.

Snow's eyes narrowed in concern and she set her tea cup down on the counter, moving to get dressed into something other than her bed clothes, and David grabbed her arm. She looked up at him, seeing that his eyes were filled with anxiety to, and waited for him to say something.

"Whatever happens at the diner, I don't want you to be too quick for forgiveness. There's still a lot we have to figure out." He said, holding his weary eyes on hers as he spoke. "We have to be careful."

"It's okay, David." She spoke slowly, her face softening when his eyes hovered over her lips. She leaned forward and kissed him, placing her hand on his cheek. When she pulled back, she smiled sweetly. "We'll get through this, I promise." She said gently, her voice filled with hope.

As she continued to the bedroom to get dressed, David sat down at the counter, fiddling with the hilt of his sword nervously.

* * *

"Chastity?" Regina inquired softly from behind the bedroom door of her room. Chastity had locked herself inside, having no intentions of coming out anytime soon, and had unintentionally put Regina into a fit of despair. Regina, terribly wanting to be forgiven, wasn't about to leave until she was.

"I-I…" Chastity started to reply, but something stopped her. A moment passed before she spoke again, "I can't do this right now, Regina…" Her voice shook, and there was a muffled sound that suggested she had buried her face into a pillow.

Regina's breath was stolen from her. She took a step back, her hand on her chest. Chastity had never called Regina by her first name; she had only ever used 'Mom'. Her heart skipped a beat, and it was then that the Evil Queen's emotions took her over completely. She pressed her hand against the door and it swung open, slamming against the wall, loosening the hinges, and splitting the wood through the middle in the process. Chastity jumped slightly, but she kept her face in the pillow. Her body was shaking brutally.

"Chastity, listen to me!" Regina raised her voice and approached her daughter, grabbing her arm and pulling her upward.

Chastity let out a startled whimper and looked up at her mother with terrified and cloudy eyes. Her body was tense, and yet she seemed to be limp in Regina's grip. "Please! Please don't be like them!" She cried helplessly, hot tears streaming down her face, smearing her makeup. "Please…" She repeated and began to cough uncontrollably.

"What are you talking about?" Regina demanded, her voice no less harsh then when she had first entered.

Chastity was crying hysterically now, and Regina let go of her, letting her fall back onto the bed. She curled up into a ball, scared for her life. "They beat me. Every night." Chastity said, her words barely audible, "I don't want you to be like them. Please…" She sobbed, hugging herself as she trembled even more.

Taking a deep breath, Regina took a step away from her bed and her daughter. A tear rolled down her right cheek. "Chastity, I…" She began, her strength draining from her body when she realized what she had just done. She must have been so intimidating to her daughter then, so horrible that she surfaced an old memory out of Chastity from her past at the foster home; a memory that had been wished to be forgotten. "I'm sorry…" She choked, her bottom lip quivering. "I'm _so_ sorry."

Chastity pulled her face from out of the pillow, looking up at Regina with innocent and harmless eyes. Regina lurched forward, pulling Chastity into her arms tightly, one hand across her back, the other behind her head. Chastity was stiff in her arms, her trust for Regina wavering. She was horrified that her mother would turn out like all the other people that had done her wrong for so many years. She had been alone in that orphanage, keeping a huge secret from the kids, and wondering how she possessed such a secret to begin with. And yet here she was, in the arms of the person who gave her such a secret to keep, and yet she almost felt like she wanted to leave it. It was then that she decided she hated magic.

"You're going to do it again." Chastity said, still not hugging her mother back.

Regina pulled away, holding her daughter's elbows in her hands as gently as she could, and asked desolately, "What?"

To Chastity, she had never seen Regina's face so upset when she asked this. Her lips had formed a terribly sad frown, and she was on the verge of breaking. "You're going to hurt me like this again. You're going to break your promises." Chastity paused, closing her eyes in distress, "You're going to stop trying for me."

"Chastity, I am so sorry. I'm trying my best, really. I hate disappointing you." She said, her lips still shaking. "I will never give up on this for you." She added, her grip tightening the slightest bit around Chastity's arms.

Her heart strained in her chest. She needed her to forgive her.

Chastity's lips parted as though she was going to say something, but she remained silent. She lifted her right arm and pushed her mother's hand off of her left arm gently. The look in her eyes brought more tears to Regina's. She released Chastity completely then, watching as she slipped off the other side of the bed and headed for the window. She stopped a moment, her hands resting upon the rim of the window, and turned back to face her mother.

"Prove yourself…" She said simply, "I'll be back." She lifted the window open and slipped outside. She shut it behind her and disappeared from Regina's sight. The sun poured out of the window as Chastity departed, and it shown down over Regina, giving a sparkle to her eyes. Perhaps Ruby was right. She was losing her only daughter and happy ending.


	3. Chapter 3: Redemption

David and Snow sat the booth that was to just the left of the center of the diner, making mild conversation as they waited for Regina and Chastity to show up. They were a half an hour late, and the couple was beginning to grow concerned. Grumpy sat next to David, keeping his usual pissed off facial expression on, and tightly gripping the cup of coffee Ruby had brought him. As if they thought they weren't obvious, the better half of the town had showed up, their curiosities for Regina's daughter were too irresistible not to fulfill. Ruby frequently checked up on David and Snow's table, wondering if they had heard anything. She was more curious than most people about Chastity. Her brief encounter with her had left her heartbroken.

"They blew us off David. We should just go to her house." Snow began to doubt them, her voice and words insisted as much.

Just then, the bell on the door rang, and in stepped Regina, holding herself up in a way that suggested trouble was following close behind her. Snow was a little shocked, as well as the rest of the diner, and they all turned to look at her. Regina gave a smooth smile and walked over to the table that was expecting her, making no move to sit next to Snow.

"Where's Chastity?" Ruby piped up from behind her. Her grip on the pot of coffee stiffened as she became morally concerned.

Regina turned around to look at Ruby. Her crimson lips slid into an unpleasant smile. "She left. She'll be back later. Anyway, her absence doesn't matter." She turned back to David, Snow, and Grumpy.

"Well darn…" Grumpy mumbled.

Regina smiled again, amused with all of their reactions, and leaned forward, gripping the sides of the table. "I've come to tell you that if any of you dare to touch my daughter, I'll kill you. Every one of you." She warned; her sudden change of posture alarmed everyone, and the chilling tone of her voice set David's blood on fire. He stood up abruptly, making Regina take a defensive step backward, but her stiff facial expression did not waver.

"It's unfortunate that she's not here to keep you in line. What did you do to her?" David asked fiercely, standing over her with an incredible amount of force. He wasn't backing down this time.

"It's not what I did to her, it's what _you all_ are doing to her. Stay away from her and we won't have a problem." She responded coolly, narrowing her eyes at David, and balling her fists. Snow stood up then, as well as Grumpy, and slowly, the entire diner began to surround Regina, however, she didn't back down either. "If you value your life, you'll stay away." She repeated, her voice so threatening it had sounded as though she had growled.

Just outside, Chastity was crouched behind a bush, watching the whole situation unravel. Tears were streaming down her face. She knew it; her mother could do it. She didn't even attempt to negotiate with any of them. Hurt and enraged, Chastity got up and turned the corner of the diner. Through the window, she saw David grab Regina's arms and shake her as she yelled in her face. They had all gone too far. She slammed the door open, smashing the bell off the ceiling. Pieces of the copper fell in front of her as everyone turned and stared in terror.

"ENOUGH!" She hollered, causing a few people in the room to jump in surprise.

David's grip on Regina loosened and she pulled away, making a move to go after her daughter. Chastity put up a hand, not ready to forgive anyone yet, and Regina hesitated, stopping in her tracks. "Chastity, I-I can explain. I-" She began. Her lips were still parted, but she found that she couldn't say anything more.

"No. You did it again. I can't believe you. This was your last chance. I'm done." Chastity was brief, and her words were steady, but a tear still escaped her eye. Gritting her teeth, she turned and stepped outside, not bothering to shut the door behind her.

Regina started after her. "Chastity, wait! Please!" She cried, and, outside now, grabbed her daughter's right arm. Chastity ripped it from her grasp as she turned around to look at her. Her cheeks were wet, but her eyes were narrowed in rage. "I'm sorry. I am _so_ sorry, sweetie." Regina begged her for her forgiveness, unsure of what do with her hands now, considering Chastity would not allow her to touch her at all. "Please, give me another chance. I can't lose you too. I can't." Regina's voice shook as she realized the detrimental mistake she had made.

Chastity had about had it, but the desperation in her mother's voice softened her dark eyes. She unclenched her firsts, making her much less intimidating, though her lips remained a straight, pale line. Taking a deep breath, shaking a little as she did so, she opened her mouth to say something, but thinking better of it, she looked down at the ground. Regina brushed her fingers up against Chastity's arm and pulled her in for a hug. Her sudden distress for the fact that Chastity was mad made Chastity unable to stay that way. She hugged her back, burying her face into her mother's shoulder, wanting to hide from the world if only for just a moment.

Her chest loosening now, Regina held her daughter closely. She had come to the diner to attempt to get her daughter back, and even though she had her in her arms, she still felt as though she had slipped far away from her. She was horrified that there was still the possibility that she would let her down again. "Chastity…" She said softly, pulling away and staring into her daughter's beautiful brown eyes. "I know I can't make a promise to you…but can you promise me something?" She asked, taking in a shaggy breath. Narrowing her eyes a little in wonder, Chastity nodded, hoping the promise would be a reasonable one. "Will you promise that you'll never leave me by your own choice?" Regina inquired tenderly, brushing a single strand of hair away from her daughter's eyes.

Chastity inhaled deeply, keeping her eyes level with her mother's, and pondering the question and its consequences carefully. She studied Regina's face for a long moment before answering her with a broken voice, "Mom…I-" She started, but she seemed to have lost her train of thought. She squeezed Regina's arm and then bit her lip, searching her mother's face again for an answer that didn't seem to be there. When she saw the extreme anxiety in Regina's eyes though, her answer was clear. "I don't think I'd have the heart to leave you…" She said finally, "You've become far too important to me."

Regina gave a pitiful smile that made Chastity let out an elated laugh and fall back into her arms. Their tears were joyful ones now as they held each other, and even though Chastity's heart was pounding in her chest like a kick drum from the amount of tension she was feeling, she still found herself at a slight ease in her mother's arms. She knew that staying would propose a challenge for the both of them, but she was willing to do what it would take to save the not-so-sleepy little town and everyone in it.

It was then that their heartfelt moment came to an abrupt stop. A clap of thunder resounded across the town, tearing mother and daughter from each other's arms to frantically look around, both of them readying themselves for whatever was coming, but both of them knew. Regina's hands balled into fits and she forcefully led Chastity inside, despite her cries to stay with her.

"NO! I'm not leaving you with her!" Chastity yelled over the howling wind, clenching onto the door with in immense amount of force.

"Chastity please!" Regina begged her, trying to pull the door shut, "You need to let me do this!"

There was something about leaving her mother alone that set Chastity's head spinning and her heart pounding even harder than it already had been before. There was no way she'd let her grandmother keep her from her mother. She shoved open the door, pushing Regina a few steps back, and stepped outside before slamming it behind her.

"No." She said firmly, keeping her eyes level with her mother's.

"Oh how sweet; a mother and daughter's first fight." A voice mocked from next to them.

Cora.

Both of the women turned to look at her, Regina placing a protective hand on Chastity's shoulder, and Chastity raising her hand in warning.

"Don't let me interrupt; please, do continue." Cora said slyly, her hands folded at her waist as she stood watching them with a bone chilling smile.

"Mother, please." Regina began, her jaw tightening from the attitude that was so thick in Cora's voice.

Cora chuckled slightly, unfolding her hands and spreading them outward in defense. "Come on dear, you want to spend quality time with her, don't you? Fighting is only half of it! You honestly think she'll stay with you through all of this? She's you're daughter, Regina; she'll leave you just as you left me." Her voice was frostbitten as the words came from her mouth.

She wanted to turn her against Chastity.

Concerned by Cora's attitude, Chastity looked over at her mother with her now distraught brown eyes, and slowly started to panic. "Mom, don't listen to her, she's trying to play mind games with you. I'd never do that to you, never. Don't let her manipulate you." She pleaded, not letting her eyes leave Regina's.

Regina turned back to her daughter, looking at her carefully as she evaluated the situation. "You're right." She said simply after a few moments, but neither Chastity nor Cora knew who she was talking to until a fireball began to form in her hands.

She aimed it at her mother.

"MOM WAIT!" Chastity screamed suddenly, and grabbed her mother's wrist, causing the fireball to fly off in the other direction and ignite a nearby bush.

Looking infuriated, Regina took a step back and glared at her daughter, "What are you doing?" She demanded harshly, but it was too late.

Cora took a single step forward and was behind Chastity. She grabbed her around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides before she had the chance to react. Regina let out a scream as her daughter and her mother were engulfed in a purple mist and disappeared.

It all happened too fast. Regina fell to her knees, her heart and head racing so fast she found herself having trouble breathing, and yet she continued to scream. David and the others rushed outside to her aid, David picking her up off of her feet, and Ruby trying to get her to stop hysterically crying. The screaming had receded, but her uncontrollable shaking had not. She pried herself from David's arms, hugging herself instead, and took a few steps forward, away from the crowd of people that had emerged from the diner. She began to finger the necklace Chastity had given her nervously, becoming more anxious with every passing moment. She turned back around then to face everyone, and she lifted her hand to cast a teleportation spell, but Snow took a step forward.

She carefully grabbed Regina's arm to stop her before she cast the spell, and she said as gently and as tenderly as possible, "It's okay. We'll help you find her. We all will." Her voice was reassuring, and for a moment she had Regina convinced.

"My mother is too powerful. She will not let me get to my Chastity even if you all fought her at once." Regina said with an unnaturally shaky voice. No one standing before her had ever seen her break like she was now.

Snow took both of Regina's arms now, looking her in the eyes with her own soft brown ones. She wanted to console her. She understood the pain she was feeling. Most importantly, she wanted to help. "Regina we are going to do whatever we can. I promise." Snow's voice was firm. She had meant every word.

Regina nodded slightly, a tear trickling down both of her cheeks. Though she was grateful, she couldn't let the townsfolk see her in the condition she was. "Fine. But I need to be alone." She said coldly, and with that, she cast the teleportation spell.

Letting her go this time, Snow took a step backward and reached for David's hand.

* * *

Still thrashing and screaming when they arrived in the forbidden part of the Enchanted Forest, Chastity pleaded Cora pitifully to let her go to return to her mother. Cora said nothing as she held onto her, but a moment later, she released Chastity. She stumbled forward, almost not catching herself, and turned to face her grandmother, her fists balled tightly.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" She cried ferociously, "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Cora remained completely calm and folded her hands in front of her, her cold eyes level with Chastity's wild ones. "There's no point in arguing, dear." She replied plainly, holding a proud smile on her lips that disgusted Chastity to the point of making a face. "You can't escape me." She added.

Arms folded across her chest now, Chastity lowered her voice and regained her balance completely. "What is your deal? I've done nothing to you and yet you seem to have a need to kill me." She remarked, tightening her jaw.

Cora let out a laugh that made Chastity even more furious. When she ceased her amused laughter, she said gently, "Oh darling, I don't want to kill you; I want to teach you."

Taken aback, Chastity raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I want to teach you the dark arts, familiarize you with them. It isn't something I believe your mother could handle." She responded, keeping her pleased smile on her facial expression.

Shaking her head, Chastity unfolded her arms and took a defensive step back. "No. There's no way. You just want to corrupt me. I know it." Her words had become short and choppy, for she was feeling even more vulnerable now.

"If you don't learn willingly, I'll have to force you." She retorted sharply, lowering her chin slightly, making her gaze frightening.

Chastity sealed her lips shut, gritting her teeth behind them. "I will not expose myself to such a filthy craft; you won't make me. If I wanted to be aware of it, I would have asked my mother, but even I wouldn't put such a burden on her as you've done. You disgust me." She said callously behind her teeth, sucking in a quick and ragged breath, knowing she had made a bold move.

Cora's facial expression fell immediately, making Chastity fear the worst. She raised her hand, and Chastity was dragged forward by an invisible force toward her grandma just like the first night she had arrived when she and Cora met. The event was being repeated, and yet there was no Regina to save her this time. She let out a scream, and a second later, she found herself face to face with her rival, growing deathly silent being so close to her.

"What was that you said, dear?" Cora hissed, holding Chastity by the throat now as she pierced through her soul with her eyes.

So tense that she could hardly move now, Chastity struggled to keep herself from being choked to death, and said through a ragged breath, "She'll never forgive you if you hurt me."

The corner of Cora's mouth slightly quirked upward into a snide smirk, and she looked entirely delighted. "I know, but I won't be the one to do it." She stated, freeing the hold on Chastity's neck, but still keeping her from moving.

Chastity shivered. Her grandmother was planning something, and Chastity began to dig for the answer in her mind, but she kept running into a brick wall. Cora was blocking her out somehow. Alarmed now, and entirely shocked, she struggled to break loose from the binding spell. Cora released her, and she fell to the ground on her knees at her grandmother's feet, rubbing her wrists soothingly from the sting that the spell had left behind. Her jaw was shaking violently and her heart was pounding in her chest like a kick drum. Cora had released her throat long enough ago for her to catch her breath, and yet she found that she couldn't.

Coughing hysterically now, Chastity doubled over in pain, unable to rise to her feet. Cora looked down at her, not caring much about her state of being now at all, and said expressionlessly, "Get up."

It took another minute, but Chastity did as she was told, though when she stood, she swayed slightly. Another moment passed and she was eyeing Cora directly in the face, holding her ground with a sudden vitality she did not know she possessed. She was going to see her mother again, even if it was the last thing she did. Her dying breath would be at her mother's side.

Her face hardened and she spit out her own blood the other direction, away from Cora, before turning to look back at her. Her voice was firm when she spoke, "Hit me with your best shot."

* * *

A vase hurled across the room and exploded on the opposite wall, sending shards of glass flying left and right. Another one soon followed it, and that one was followed by a book that just happened to be sitting on her desk. Regina was fully enraged. She hadn't been this fuming since the day the huntsman brought her a deer's heart instead of Snow's, and she hadn't acted this violently on her fury ever before like she was now. No one could have witnessed this outburst, as she was underground in her vault in the secret room, the place she ran to when everything seemed like too much. She couldn't think straight, her mind was racing, and with every moment that she let slip past not looking for Chastity, the more her insanity increased.

She was losing it without her daughter.

Anxious that Chastity couldn't hold her own, she'd been trying to think where her mother might have taken her, though she hadn't come up with much. She knew it had to be somewhere in the Enchanted Forest, but where? How could she track them? The idea came to her suddenly, her eyes widening, for she was shocked that she hadn't come up with it sooner.

Ruby.

She took a deep breath and teleported herself to her office. When the purple mist around her faded, she approached her desk swiftly, swiping up her cell phone that lay near her computer. She punched in the number to the Granny's and waited impatiently as it rang, tapping her foot by habit. It seemed like a century had passed before Granny picked up.

"Yes may I speak with Ruby, please?" Regina asked as soon as Granny said hello.

Granny hardly hesitated to hand the phone to Ruby, and she did so with a smirk. Ruby, eager to hear what Regina had to say, didn't pause for a second as she put the phone up to her ear.

"Regina? Have you heard anything yet?" She asked urgently, her voice thick with angst.

Regina began to pace back and forth as she spoke into the phone, "Nothing yet, but I have something for you to do for me. Do you think you could track them down? I know my mother has taken her to the woods, I just haven't a clue as to where."

Ruby's response was immediate, "Sure. I can be at your office in less than ten minutes."

* * *

Again, the wind was knocked from Chastity as she flew backward into a tree, however this time, she heard a crack. She slumped to the ground, her entire body shaking again, and she put her hand to her rib cage, coughing up a little blood which she spat into the dirt next to her.

The pain was excruciating.

Cora stood a few yards away from her, her hand raised and crackling with energy. There was a triumphant smile spreading across her face as she watched her granddaughter crumple in pain entirely to the ground now. "You can't win, my dear." She says smoothly, taking a few steps closer.

Chest tightening sharply, Chastity climbed to her feet, her face creased in pain. Blood ran down the corner of her mouth and she wiped it away without a second thought. "But I can fight until I'm found." She countered, her jaw tightening as she realized that talking hurt.

Cora laughed amusingly, bringing her hand to her lips. "My my, don't you look a mess," She said, as though it were a compliment, "Are you ready to listen to me yet?"

Chastity let out an agonizing chuckle before she replied, "Heal my ribs . . . and then we'll talk."

Seeming to be uninterested now, Cora's lips pursed, as she found that healing her would be no fun, but realizing that she had to. She approached her now, raising her hand near Chastity's heart, and it began to glow a golden color. Chastity sucked in a quick breath as she left her ribs snap themselves back into place. She let out a gasp when Cora finished and fell back against the tree, clutching her chest and trying to catch her breath.

"Thank you." She said through an exhale, her eyes lingering over her grandmother's, completely fixed and firm. "Now, what is it you want to tell me?" She inquired, standing herself straight now.

"I told you, I want to teach you the dark arts." Cora said with a sly smile, turning on her heal as she began to pace.

Chastity didn't seem to believe her, and she folded her arms across her chest. "Right. But what is it you _really_ want to do with me?" She questioned, her voice stronger now.

Cora finally looked impressed again. "Because, dear, you're putting ideas in my daughter's head that don't need to be there," She said, taking a few steps closer to her, "And you could be very useful to me…"

"As if I'd do anything for you." Chastity retorted, brushing the dirt off of her pants, acting unusually casual. "And I've done nothing but help my mother, just as you have not. It's clear to me that you took part in breaking her, like you are now."

Core chuckled before she responded, "No matter," She gave a horrifying smile that made Chastity shiver, "Do you know why she gave you up?" Chastity shook her head, looking solemn now, as it was a subject she preferred not to discuss. "Well, sweetheart, it was because she didn't want you. She knew that you would cause problems, so she sent you away. Why do you think she hasn't come looking for you yet? She doesn't want you back, Chastity. She never wanted you."

Chastity felt a pain in her chest that she could not rid of, and she shook her head again, not believing her grandmother. "No. You're lying. She loves me." She said defensively, her eyebrows furrowing in lament.

"No my dear; she never did. She wouldn't have so easily let me take you if she did. She never wanted a child, you were accidental." Cora continued, her face rigid with seriousness.

The memory of the event with her mother this morning sent a shiver throughout her entire body. Regina had broken off a shard of Chastity's trust toward her, and even though she seemed to have regained it at Granny's, Chastity still felt the crack. Suddenly, she found herself believing her grandmother, and Cora seemed to notice the look of defeat on her face.

"She was just going to use your abilities to help her get Henry back and reclaim the town." Cora said, further pushing her thoughts with a wicked frown that seemed to be awfully unsympathetic, though it convinced Chastity and threw her off the edge.

Chastity let out a horridly piercing scream and threw her hands downward, sending an unknown wave of energy from her fingertips. Cora was knocked backward by the blast as Chastity collapsed to the ground, holding her stomach in an unbearable pain. Infernal tears streamed down her face that seemed to burn her skin, leaving red marks on her pale cheeks. Cora had been knocked unconscious, and even though Chastity knew that she would soon come to, she didn't move from her spot. There was no where she could go. She didn't know which way was home; and the fear that was clawing at her heart prevented her from standing anyhow.

She wasn't going to be used anymore.

* * *

Regna had been following behind Ruby for at least twenty minutes now. She was growing incredibly irritated and her faith in Ruby was slowing draining. She knew it was wrong of her to hate the wolf right now, and she kept her mouth shut to prevent herself from making a malicious comment. She'd promised Chastity she'd try to better herself, and it was a promise she did not plan on breaking. In fact, she was holding that promise for both Chastity and Henry.

"I got her." Ruby said suddenly and finally, and she darted forward.

Regina's heart jumped and she followed after Ruby, her mood brightening the slightest bit. "Thank god!" She said as she carefully made her way down a dip in the ground, having to grab a nearby tree to keep herself from falling.

They were coming up a small clearing surrounded by enormous trees. Regina could feel that something was wrong, and just as she saw her daughter come into view, she stopped short, though Ruby continued on after Chastity. She spotted her mother, knocked unconscious and not too far from her daughter, and her stomach tied itself into a knot. She watched hesitantly as Ruby knelt down beside Chastity, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest like she never had felt it do before. Something terrible was about to happen.

"Chastity? Oh my god! Are you alright?" Ruby asked immediately, going to rest a gentle hand on Chastity's back, hoping to calm her down.

Chastity was curled up into a ball with her hands clutching the back on her head. Her grip tightened on the clumps of her hair she had in her fists and her chest tightened as she restrained her wrath. She growled under her breath a warning, "Get away from me, Ruby."

Ruby pulled her hand back uncertainly and stood up, taking a few steps back from her. She turned and looked up at Regina, wondering what made the woman stop. Regina looked back down at her and began to make the rest of her way down to the small ravine. It was then that Chastity lifted her head, revealing her cheeks that appeared as though they were burnt with little lines that ran along them. Ruby noticed the movement and glanced down at her, letting out a small gasp.

"Chastity…" She said breathlessly, backing away from her nervously and turning to catch Regina's gaze.

Regina stopped in her tracks, more frightened now than ever of the situation, and held back. It was too late, however, for Chastity had already spotted her, and she rose to her feet, wobbling slightly from having been crouched down in that position for such a long time. A fury flared up in her eyes like a fiercely burning blaze of fire.

"No!" She cried, her voice seeming to rip as she spoke her next words, "Stay away from me!"

Regina, looking pitifully hurt, put a hand over her heart and asked miserably, "What?"

"You lied to me! Everything you've ever told me was a lie! All you ever wanted was to use me for your own advantage because of my ability!" She screamed accusingly, more blistering tears running down her cheeks in an endless flow of anguish.

Regina leaned forward somewhat, as though she'd been shot through the heart with a shard of ice, and the necklace that Chastity had given her slipped out from behind her jacket. Chastity saw it glisten, and her face softened the slightest bit. Regina's eyes were swelling with tears that she simply could not blink away. "No . . . Chastity I could never do that to you." She pleaded for her to believe her, taking a cautious step forward. "Whatever my mother has said to you, please do not consider any of it. She was the one that lied."

Chastity's jaw quivered as she shook her head, and she looked at the ground now instead of her mother. "But what you did this morning…" She began, but hesitated as she thought of the memory. She shuddered faintly, though her entire body began to shake.

"Chastity." Regina said firmly, and when she didn't respond, she repeated her name again, "Chastity look at me."

Closing her eyes, Chastity lifted her head before opening them back up again to stare her mother in the eye.

"Read my mind. If you won't believe me saying it, then listen to my thoughts." Regina seemed to demand this of her, and with her words, Chastity could feel the wall around her mother's mind shatter.

The invitation made Chastity ponder it, but when her eyes caught another glimpse of the necklace around Regina's neck, she let her mind go free.

And she was hit with something she had never experienced before in her entire life.

Regina's emotions were so strong, it put Chastity to her knees. She could see a vase exploding on elegant wallpaper, a boy telling his mother something and hugging her in a rear-view mirror, her mother sitting alone at a table in Granny's surrounded by a crowd of joyful people, a man with a distant face that her mother watched fade to dust as her heart snapped in half, the same man falling to the ground limply with his heart nothing but powder in the palm of Cora's hand, and then her mother clutching a silver rattle with the initials C.J.M. engraved on it. Gasping for air, Chastity felt a wave of desperation wash over her and the fear of never seeing someone she loved ever again. She felt a craving for someone's affection, and when she let her eyes lock on her mother's again, she found that it was her own that her mother was craving.

"Mom?" Chastity's voice sounded isolated, and she felt her heart beat loudly in her chest once.

Knees buckling, Regina lurched after her daughter, falling to her knees in front of her and scooping her up in her arms. She buried her face in Chastity's thick, wavy hair, and held her so close to her that Chastity could feel her heart beating in unison with her own. She hid her face in her mother's hair as well, her tears not burning her face anymore, but healing it. Her red scars faded as her mother cradled her in her arms, the heat coming from her body comforting Chastity.

"I love you." Regina choked out through her tears, saying this to her daughter for the first time, and pulling her even closer now.

Chastity smiled pathetically as she replied, "I love you too."

* * *

The time that followed that was a blur to Chastity. All she remembered was walking arm in arm with her mother following close behind Ruby as she led them back to town. Now, as she layed curled up next to her mother on the couch, all she could think about was staying as close to Regina as possible for the rest of the day and the days that would pursue it. Regina had soundlessly fallen asleep on the armrest of the couch, and Chastity's body lay at length with hers, and though they were both covered by an incredibly warm blanket, Chastity still couldn't fall asleep herself. She was anxious as to what Cora would do when she awoke, and the thought was haunting her despite the fact that she was in the safety of her mother's arms.

The feeling was unsettling to Chastity, and, feeling like she needed to stretch her legs, slowly slipped off the couch without disturbing her mother as she slept. She took one last glance behind her at Regina before heading toward the front door. She decided it'd be best for her to grab her things, considering she was interrupted the last time, and stepped outside into the fresh air. The crisp feel off it in her lungs and on her skin rejuvenated her body, and as she made her way across the lawn, she could feel her body getting stronger with each step.

At her truck now, she opened the driver's door to grab her purse first. She took out two particular items from it: her cell phone and her Gerber pocket knife. She slipped them both in her back pocket before slinging her purse over her shoulder. The grabbed her gym bag from school that was filled with her clothes and slung it over her shoulder as well before turning to head back inside.

When she stepped through the door, her mother was in the kitchen, standing in front of the open fridge. "Hey?" Chastity said and she slumped down to set her bag and purse on the ground. For some reason, something felt unusual. Something hung in the air that disturbed Chastity.

Regina turned at the sound of her daughter's voice and gave a lovely smile before she spoke, "Hey, what do you want for lunch?" She asked in such a pleasant voice that Chastity raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"What?" Chastity asked, prolonging the 'a' to indicate that she knew something was different.

Giving a look, Regina cocked her head slightly and replied, "What? Everything is okay."

Chastity eye-balled her a moment before approaching her. "Okay then why are you so excitable suddenly?" She inquired, now in the crossway between all the rooms. Impulsively, she looked into the living room where she and her mother had been resting, only to find that her real mother was still sleeping on the couch. She whipped her head back to the Regina in the kitchen and instinct made her reach to her back pocket to pull out her knife. She gritted her teeth before saying the one word that explained it all, "Cora."

Regina's body was engulfed in a thick purple smoke, and when it faded, Cora stood in her place. She smiled grimly and said as though she were speaking to an old friend, "Hello, Chastity. Did you really think you could get away from me that easily?"

"What the hell did you do to my mother?" Chastity asked immediately, gripping her knife tighter, and taking a quick glance at Regina, who was still sleeping soundlessly on the couch through all the commotion.

Cora chuckled and said as a matter-of-factly, "Oh it's just a simple sleep spell, my dear; nothing that would hurt her. In the meantime, let's have a little chit-chat, shall we?"

"Why would I want to talk to you? You damn near killed me last time you wanted to "talk"." Chastity countered lowering her knife the slightest bit.

Taking a deep breath, Cora looked down at a stool next to her and pulled it underneath her, sitting on the edge of it. She folded her hands in her lap, giving a strangely uncomfortable smile, and looked Chastity dead in the eye. "Because, sweetheart, I just want to talk to my granddaughter." She replied, her voice very gentle, and still deceiving.

Chastity smirked. "I doubt that." She retorted, shaking her head slightly.

"Well don't, my dear, because it's true," Cora responded with a sweet smile, "Now, come sit with me, please. And put that pathetic blade away."

Looking down at her Gerber knife, Chastity was almost offended at the word "pathetic", but she shook it off and flicked her wrist to snap the blade shut. She returned it to her back pocket before looking back up at Cora, eyebrows still furrowed. "I prefer to stand." She said haughtily, crossing her arms over her chest.

Cora seemed mildly insulted, but she smiled again anyway. "Sweetheart, I have a way to help the both of you. You're mother wants Henry back, and when she gets him, she'll want to return to the Enchanted Forest with the both of you. I can get Henry." Cora struck her deal like a cobra piercing its pray without even trying or putting forth much effort. She was fluently manipulative.

Pondering this, Chastity took a deep breath, lowering her eyes from her grandmother's. She could understand why Cora would want to get Henry back for Regina, but why would she help her as well? There was nothing apparent that she would be getting out of it. "I…" Chastity began, but second guessed herself, making sure she was choosing her words more carefully, "And how would you go about that?"

"Well," Cora began, titling her head in thought, "Your mother and I have little to no idea of what Henry is thinking, so perhaps if we knew, we could formulate a plan… That is where you come in, of course." She gestured at Chastity, who, at her grandmother's words, gave a disgusted look.

"I could never do that to my own brother," Chastity remarked harshly, leaning forward a little to emphasize her seriousness, "It is his choice whether or not he wants to stay with my mother, not ours. There is no way I will do that."

Cora's face hardened and she stood up abruptly, both her hands balled into fists. "Very well, then. If I can't have you do it, I'll do it myself." She said sharply, and took a generous step forward.

Chastity was only able to let out a gasp before Cora had her hand firmly fastened around her neck, a horrible pain rushing through her body like lightening. After that, all Chastity could do was scream and slowly sink to her knees. "What . . . are you doing!?" She cried, grabbing Cora's hand to push it away from her, but without success, "STOP!"

A dark purple light emitted from Cora's palm, and the brighter it glowed, the weaker Chastity became. A bruise suddenly formed above her eyebrow and on her left cheek, a long, deep cut down her right arm, and her knuckles ripped apart and began to bleed. Cora was attempting to steal her powers, which in turn was reversing them, and even though Chastity screamed and cried to be released, Cora held fast. All her wounds from previous years that Chastity had used her magic to heal were slowly reopening.

Terror rushed through her veins like poison, and suddenly, Chastity found herself crying out like a little kid for her mother.

"MOM!" She shrieked, turning to look at her mother who was sleeping soundlessly on the couch, hardly moving. "MOM PLEASE!" She tried again, a black cloud forming in the corners of her eyes, threatening to make her pass out.

Regina stirred the slightest bit, giving Chastity hope, though she was running out of time. Her tears soon came, blurring her vision, and she struggled to hold onto consciousness. She feared that if she tried to call her mother again, she would drain all her strength and she'd blackout, but she knew she couldn't let Cora get away with this. With her last breath, she said, "Mommy…" with a broken voice before she found herself freely slumping to the side and everything went black.

Regina's eyes flashed open, the scene in front of her unfolding like a terrible hallucination, and she shot up from the couch, wobbling slightly as she went. She put her hand to her head, still swooning faintly even though she was ready to throw a fireball or two, and managed to take a step forward. "Mother!?" She asked miserably, a knife lodging itself into her back when she saw Chastity lying on the floor looking as though she'd be beaten and her mother clutching the kitchen counter with her hand to her chest. "What have you done?" She yelled, rushing to her daughter and falling to her knees next to her, pulling her into her arms.

"Regina . . . I-" Cora tried, but she couldn't seem to finish her sentence. She watched as her daughter cradled her granddaughter, gently kissing her forehead and repeating her name softly. And sudden, the only word to describe her was green.

"Sweetie? Sweetie say something." Regina voice was thick with angst as she tried helplessly not to panic, "Chastity hunny I need you to wake up…" When she said this, the tears came on like an endless stream, "I need _you_."

And Chastity gasped.

Her eyes fluttered open, and nothing could have been more wonderful than seeing her mother's face before anything else. She took a few deep breaths before she was able to speak, "I need you too." She smiled as her mother pulled her in for a close hug


End file.
